[Clinical history in the study of a patient with dementia]

To carry out a detailed review of the keys to diagnosis of different types of dementia whilst taking a clinical history.

Dementia is a syndrome with many different aetiologies. Correct diagnosis depends on recording data of the history of the dementia, particularly of complaints regarding cognition and behavior. The keys to the clinical history should be based on questions about cognitive disorders, with emphasis on how they started, their evolution and particular form of dysfunction, Although Alzheimer's dementia is the most frequent, this diagnosis should only be made when the other forms of dementia have been ruled out. In this article we describe some of the keys to a good clinical history to facilitate the etiological and differential diagnosis of dementia.

Establishment of a full clinical history is the first and most important step in the diagnosis of dementia and cognitive disorders. On this will depend the plan to be followed to study the aetiology and most suitable treatment. Success or failure in the study of a patient with dementia depends on the quality of the clinical history obtained.